Teens face murder charges in death of Saskatchewan restaurant owner

LA RONGE –Three teens are facing murder charges in the death of a Saskatchewan restaurant owner who police say was fatally assaulted during a robbery at his business earlier this month.

RCMP say three males, aged 18, 17 and 14 were arrested Friday afternoon without incident in the La Ronge area.

Simon Grant, 64, died in hospital less than 48 hours after RCMP responded to an armed robbery at his restaurant, Louisiana’s Bar-B-Que, in La Ronge and found him seriously injured.

All three of the accused are charged with second-degree murder.

They also are charged with robbery while armed with a weapon, wearing a disguise with intent, using an imitation firearm while committing an offence and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

The three remain in custody and are to appear in La Ronge provincial court on Monday.

“Investigators would like to thank the community and people of La Ronge and area, whose reported information assisted with this investigation,” police said Saturday in a release.

Mounties said after the robbery that all of the suspects had their faces covered when they entered the restaurant.

They allege the accused were in the business for less than five minutes and took some cash before leaving.

Grant’s widow, Cora Laich, said her husband moved to the northern Saskatchewan community in 2003 and at one point owned 11 different businesses in town.

Friends and employees said he was well-liked and that everyone knew who he was.

Laich said her late husband’s lungs, kidneys, liver and pancreatic islets were being donated.